The End Through My Eyes
by AliceE.Silverstone
Summary: The day started as any other in the sunshine state Tania called her home until, a neighbor comes rushing from her home blood streaking down her face only to be pulverized by a truck in her search for assistance. But the most shocking fact of the matter is, that even after Tania heard all those bones in her frail old body break and buckle under the trucks girth, she gets back up.
1. The Beginning of The End

Chapter 1 The Beginning of the End

The day was like any other. It was a sunny, summer afternoon in California with the perfect breeze to cool down the day, so no one could have imagined what would befall the sunshine state.

I was with my family when shit went down, having fun chasing down my 7 year old little sister Natalie and 5 year old nephew Raymond the typical day outside our picket fenced home in San Jose. But it all changed when one of the neighbors came outside arms extended begging for help. Her eyes were horror stricken her nose bleeding when all of a sudden she dropped in the middle of the street to be flattened by a rushing SUV.

I put the children inside to find my mom while I called 911 only to hear the lines were full, that's when she stood up again.

I dropped my phone in shock this woman clearly should have died, but there she was still walking. She was paler, blood dripped from her mouth, and eyes, and her limbs dangled in a sickly way for they were crushed. I knew what had happened, I knew what she was now all those hours spent watching the Resident Evil saga made it clear, but I still needed proof before I smashed her head in and that's exactly what I got when the spooked SUV driver came out to see if the old woman was alright.

"Maim…a...are you alright?" the old woman turned to him with a groaning snarl, she drew closer to him limping, dumb bastard didn't know what hit him when she took hold of him and ravaged his flesh with her yellowing teeth just like the movies.

I thought the day would come, but this soon was unexpected. I kept looking out to the terrible scene with a grin on my face, a call of my name only just being heard by my awestruck ears.

"Tania!" My mom called out to me as she looked on in horror as more of our neighbors came out of their homes the same symptoms as the woman across the street. "What's going on?!" My mother was terrified by the scene and her loud terrified voice seemed to make something snap in the other poor unfortunate souls that were our neighbors, for all of a sudden they all turned to her as though she were a delicious 10oz. steak.

"Mom," I called "go inside right now and tell everyone to be quiet okay. Please don't yell and ask why unless you wanna end up like that man being munched on by that old bitch." My mom looked back at the man whose intestines were being devoured and ran inside quietly.

"Finally time to have some damn fun." I whispered following her in letting the other neighbors that were panicking and running around to draw the attention of the undead away from us.

"What's going on out there Tania, why was she eating that man?!" My mom asked the sound of her voice filling the busy house.

"What does she mean by eating?" My older sister Rocio asked the same look of shock as the rest of the family, when my Granma began to cough.

"What's wrong Hermila?" My Tia asked holding my Granma's shoulder lightly as she kept coughing then the blood splattered on to her hand. Next was her nose and finally she held her chest fast and went limp in her seat at the small poker table. "Hermila! Hermila!" My Tia called out to her sister fearing the worst. Little did she know the worse was nothing compared to the reality.

"Get away from her Tia Gloria." I choked out as tears welled in my eyes, I knew but it was too horrible to be true. "Get away from her right now Tia please, she's gone so please get away or you'll die too."

"What is she saying Mari? Your daughter has finally lost it hasn't she?!" She called to my now weeping mother; she didn't want to accept that her sister was gone. No one wanted to admit it, hell I didn't.

"Tia Gloria, you have to move." I walked over to her as I saw the woman I called my mami begin to twitch to life. "I have to do this now so please don't make it harder for me." My tears brimmed when my Mami Mila rose from her chair with a groan.

"What are you saying Tania?!" My sister, Rocio, called out making the zombie turn to her as the others outside had turned to my mother. I ran to my sister and pushed the monster into the hallway. It fell over and I took the opportunity to shove its shambling body into the nearest room-it's ironic that said room happened to belong to it.

My sister looked up at me as I offered her my hand but she just sat there shaking in fear. "Sh…she tried…." Rocio rambled in her panic.

"She tried to bite and eat you! Do you people not get it those things outside, in this room aren't who they used to be!" I cried out tears streaming "The woman who raised me is gone all that remains is a hungry corpse."

I walked over to my confused little sister, who sat in the chair my Granma once sat holding her walking stick more irony.

I patted my sister's head."Natalie, can I borrow that Granma's stick please?" I asked sweetly looking her up and down, she was okay just a bit shaken, I kissed her head to keep her calm.

"Okay Tati," She called me by the nickname she invented back when she was 2 she shouldn't have seen that. "Just don't cry anymore okay." She smiled tears collecting in her honey eyes, and gave me the metal walking stick.

My Tio Junior, the terrified son of the monster that was in the room across from us, held her hand as I walked off to the hallway.

"Mom I love you so much, I love you all so much that's why I ask you to please go hide in Tio Junior's room but stay quiet okay." I looked around our home to see my Tia's nose bleed. "No." Is all I could muster. "Tia you stay with me please I don't want to be completely alone." I lied, a smile on my tear streaked face.

She touched the blood on her upper lip and smiled at me. "Okay honey whatever you want." They all knew why I asked that of her, and I know she understood.

"Tania, I'm so sorry." Rocio called from the room tears spilling over. I simply smiled at her. "Stay safe okay." She called, and with that the latch of the door clicked shut.

"I know Chio, I love you guys." I turned to my aunt in the living room who was collapsed, already lifeless on the floor in our living room. This new world was chalk full of irony.

I walked to her first, and before she began to move I swung the stick over my head and struck down as hard as I could until the crack of her breaking skull resonated through the house. "One down, one to go."

I walked to the door across the way turned the knob and waited for the thing to appear. I tiptoed slowly in front of the door and whistled to the monster that barely made it to the doorway. Its pale eyes at attention its head snapping up with a loud snarl.

"I'm sorry mami, I love you." She was just ahead of me the perfect swinging distance, so I did it. I smashed the head of the woman that raised me.

"I'm so sorry." It was over after a few hard swings splattering the blood of my beloved grandmother onto my white button up blouse and ripped up jeans. I walked away from the scene to meet with my family in the room they hid in. _KNOCK KNOCK_ "Can I come in?"

"Is it safe now?" My older sister called. Her voice shook and cracked as she spoke. She was crying.

"Yea, it's safe for now, you can come out if you want." I waited for an answer but what came was a click of the door opening. "Are you guys alright?" I asked and I was tackled by my little sister.

"Are you?" She sobbed; I guessed the situation had set in for her too.

"We're fine Tania, how about you?" My mother asked as she came through the door taking hold of me as she spoke through each sob. "I was so scared that you'd get hurt love." We went out to the hallway where they saw the horrid act I had preformed to keep them safe. "Did you…?" She asked a look of despair on her face.

"Yea I had to do it because no one else could. I'm sorry mom." My eyes stung as fresh tears brimmed over. I had wanted to do something like that for years but never to someone I loved dearly.

"I…I can't believe that this is actually happening." Rocio fell to her knees holding her son Raymond close to her before the blood and gore. "How could this have happened? Why now, what caused this?!" Her screams could be heard through all the house maybe the whole neighborhood. Man I hoped not.

"Turn the T.V. on maybe there's some news or something. What time is it? It's 5 right, The 5 o'clock news should barely be starting." My uncle suggested. He walked around his dead mother and aunt to get to the T.V. in the second living room deep in the house. He clicked it on and turned to a news channel hoping to see some explanation. Surprisingly much more information was given than any of us expected to find on the News, but I guess since the government probably knew there was little to nothing to lose they just decided to spill the beans to the public.

"You're watching Channel 7, the 5'o clock News special, live from the streets of San Jose California." The news woman said on the screen, behind her you could see the channel 7 building that was downtown.

"We're downtown just in front of our studio here in San Jose and you can see the chaos that has broken out thanks to some unknown disease that has engulfed the country and most of the world. Government officials have admitted to a leak of a bio-weapon they have been working on. This weapon decreases the bodies T cells and causes liver failure, lethal rise in body temperature, and finally death due to overheating and/or heart attack. It's a terrible virus that kills in a very cruel way but is very effective and quick once in the blood stream." The world seemed to fall silent as she took a breath waiting for some more information.

"Also, the virus has a very strange side affect people. You may not believe me when I say this but I assure you these are the facts straight from the scientists that helped developed this biological weapon. The people who become infected by this virus and die will inevitably come back to life as mindless walking corpses. That's right everyone Zombies. I can tell you first hand it's true for one my cameramen was infected and he turned, here we have him caged so you see we are serious." The camera swung around to show the bloody man inside what looked like a large dog kennel his eyes were milky white his teeth a disgusting yellow and his skin had turned into a sickly pale color.

"This is the monster that arises once the infected are deceased, so please be careful for these symptoms of infection. High fever is the first symptom, next they may begin to cough up blood, their eyes and nose may begin to bleed, and finally they will clutch their chests and fall to the ground lifeless. We warn you if someone around you is experiencing these symptoms you are in immediate danger. The most effective way to deal with ones who are infected is severe head trauma, decapitation or incineration. We at Channel 7 will continue to try to feed you information at a later date, but until then we wish you good luck and God bless."

With those final words the screen's image turned to static and all that you could hear through the house was that static. 'What God?' I thought as I looked on to the grey fuzzy screen, and I could feel everyone around me felt the same.

"Wait," My uncle broke the silence. "They didn't tell us how to avoid them what the fuck do we do about that!" His fear was evident in his voice and he was right they didn't tell us, but I had an idea.

"Tio I think we can find out ourselves. Mom when we were outside and that lady turned on that guy did you notice anything?" She shook her head not following where I was going with my explanation. "When the guy talked she turned on him and when you screamed she looked up again, and granma didn't notice the door was open until I whistled to get her attention."

"So you think they respond to sound?" Rocio put the pieces together. "That maybe true by what you're saying, but how do we find out for sure?" She pondered and the room's attention seemed to turn to me all of a sudden.

"Why are you looking at me, I'm the young inexperienced one here you know?" I retorted sarcastically but I knew that I probably had the most knowledge in this scenario, thanks to all the Resident Evil games and Zombie movies I watched. I bet they thought I was addicted. Little did they know.

"Okay, we can send someone outside to test the theory, but that would be close to suicide if there are too many out there?" I thought as I looked around the room thinking of how any of them would do out in that hellish reality. None of them would have stood a chance so I decided. "I'll go see how many of THEM are out there, okay, then I'll go test it out."

My family looked at one and other and then my mother spoke. "You are not going out there! Like you said you're young and inexperienced so let us handle this." I looked at my uncle, sister and mother in shock.

"Ha..haha…ahahahahaha! No seriously you stay here and I'll check things out okay. You guys have things to live for you know? Mom you have to make sure Natalie doesn't die here, Chio same goes for you and Raymond, and Tio you have to make sure they all stay safe." I smiled at them walking around the room to give them hugs just in case I died.

"I'll be fine trust me, you don't know what I'm capable of." I winked at my mom as I walked past her to the kids planting a kiss on their foreheads. "I'll be back in minute okay guys." I went out to the backyard to grab my linoleum bat I played softball with and walked silently to the front-door, my family following behind me.

"We'll be waiting for you then, you little shit trying to act all cool all of a sudden." My sister teased tears threatening to escape the corners of her eyes.

"Don't worry you can watch me be cool through the window." I opened the door to see only a few of the undead were outside including the old woman who had put things in perspective for me. I walked out of the door and climbed over one of short brick pillars that connected our fence afraid that the squeal of the creaky gate would turn all the attention to our house.

'Okay so far so good.' I thought as I made it to the car filled driveway seeing only about 10-20 of the dead. Then a few of the walking corpses turned a corner and more followed.

'Damn the whole fucking neighborhood had to get infected.' I cursed my luck with maybe 30-40 of THEM walking around. But it sure did seem like I could have some fun then, especially since my family was peaking through the window of the main living room at the front of the house, I decided show off. They didn't know what I really did with the woman that lived 2 houses down after all.

I climbed down the pillar and walked to the middle of the street unnoticed, I guess my theory was right after all. I looked to my family in the house and they were all watching anxiously to see what would happen next. And I tell you they didn't expect what I did next.

"Well time to have some fun!" I yelled out gaining the attention of all the undead bastards that were close enough to hear with their decaying ears. My sister and mother gasped in shock and began to bang on the windows trying to draw THEM away from me but that didn't work. I looked back at the window as THEY approached me in sluggish movements and winked to my sweet spectators. "Time to have fun with these bastards." I grinned swinging the bat around before I charged into the crowd of the dead.


	2. Into The Crowd

Chapter 2 Into The Crowd

The dead grabbed at me, snarled at me, and tried to bite me as I ran through them all, my bat smashing into those that got too close for comfort. The sounds of their groans and the crashing of their skulls as I struck them rang out through the streets attracting more and more of THEM until it was too much to handle. I was surrounded panting against a wall when I heard the screech of a car and the blasting of a familiar song that came around the corner of our dead street.

"Cruisin down da street in my 64s. Macking da Bitches Slappin da Hoes!" The music blasted turning the attention from me for just enough time to get away from the undead crowd around me. The car came to a halt across from me. My salvation came out of his car.

"You know you shouldn't be so reckless little sister." My brother's cocky voice came through the music. His brown work shirt and stained jeans already doused in blood who knows what happened at the recycling plant. I remembered my uncle that worked with him. 'Damn.'

He sprinted over to me swing at the zombies that went his way with a crowbar in his large hands.

"Shut up Cesar! What the hell happened to you dude, looks like you've gone through a lake of blood or something man." I teased as he came to me swinging through the crowd.

"Like you're any better you lil' shit, and I've only been doing this cause I have to okay. You're having a blast aren't you." He smirked over to me an accusing look in his eyes.

"Humph I guess I can't deny that. Except for the first ones I had to take care of." My focus faltered and my brother had to save me again.

"Tania!" He yelled out smashing in a zombie's head as it just got a firm grip on my left arm. "Watch out you idiot, I can't have you dying on me."

"I'm sorry Cesar. Do you wanna go inside now brother?" I asked still cracking skulls, always on the move as to not get cornered again.

"Yeah but if we just run inside THEY will follow us won't they?" He looked over to me bashing in the head of the hot milf that lived on our street.

"I know what to do, and I just smashed her head in so we should be home free to do it too."

I bet I got a sinister looking smirk on my face by the way my brother looked at me. "What are you thinking Tania?" He asked suspiciously with a similar smirk beginning to creep its way to his features.

'Guess it's hereditary.' I thought, "I know the cat lady that lived down the street has some things we can use. When I say so follow me as fast as you can okay brother?" I stated more of an order than a question.

"That crazy old bitch you used to talk to." My brother said "What does she have that we can use?" He asked as we made our way through the streets

"Trust me she expected some shit like to happen this after she saw the news about the guy in Miami so she's got good shit in her house okay, just trust me."

I nodded over to my brother and bolted as fast as my feet could carry me across the street to my old cat loving friend's house. When we finally made it into the house I went straight for her pantry where she hid the cookie jar. In the cookie jar hid a bag full of cash and another bag full of weed.

"Brother can you open the cabinet under the sink for me I still have something else to get." I asked dashing into the old woman's room, to grab the piece de resistance.

"Are you almost done in there Tania those bastards are bound to get in here sooner or later you know!?" He yelled out to me from the kitchen, the contents of the cabinet in hand. "Why do we need all this fucking booze anyway Tania?"

"Just shut up already, your making things worse by being loud you know." I said walking out of the room with 6 different guns. "THEY respond to sound." My brother fell silent as he looked on to me holding our fire power.

"Wow this bitch really was ready, but why do we need the vodka?" I was really shocked when he said that I expected him to at least figure that part out.

"Bombs duhh…hand me that rag brother." I ordered holding my hand out.

"When did you get badass you little shit?"He said handing me the rag. "I mean I know you're pretty into zombie shit but I didn't know that you were into it so much."

I sighed in annoyance about to explain myself to him as I ripped up the rag and put a sliver of cloth into the mouth of every bottle but one. "I watched zombie movies because I wanted to know what to and not to do in any situation, not just cause they were cool okay."

"Me and the lady that lived here would talk about what we would do if it came to this someday and stuff okay. We have a plan made for our families but looks like her part in this has gone to shit." I chuckled remembering the sweet crack that resonated from her skull as my bat smashed into her. She must have been caught off guard.

"Are you fucking serious Tania? That's what you would do in your spare time…man I have such a fucked up little sister." He joked, then we finally realized our current situation as the sounds of loud thuds on the door and windows echoed through the empty halls. "I guess that's a good right now though huh?"

"Brother she had a bunch of ammo in the room with the guns can you go get enough to get out of here?" I asked hurrying over to see how many of THEM we had to face, as expected it was a shit ton.

"Damn we'll be cornered instantly if we go out there." I cursed assessing our situation. We were at a loss at that time, but for once someone other than me came up with an idea.

My brother went to the kitchen and turned on the all of the gas stove's burners with no flame, next he went to the old fashion heater that sat in the living room and yanked the gas cord out of it letting some kind of gas escape.

"Tania, go out to the backyard," My brother ordered throwing me one of the smaller handguns. "You do know how to use that thing right?" My brother teased as I held onto it.

"Probably better than you can." I retorted as I walked to the room with the guns to get some extra ammo in case THEY somehow got in. "Brother if you're going to do what I think you're an idiot and you better not shoot while you're in here okay. We still have to get Jacob and Dennise, remember?"

He looked back and smirked, "Just wait outside you'll see how cool you're brother is, okay." I ran to him and warped my arms around his solid torso in the tightest hug I could manage.

"I never had a doubt brother." I joked as I squeezed ever tighter "I'll be waiting outside then you idiot, I love you." With that I opened the door and barely noticed how much gas had filled the house, how did we stand it for so long? "Brother hurry up okay and don't forget to get as much ammo as you can."

There was no answer in the house, so me being the worry wart that I am went back to find my brother inside holding onto the wall, probably dizzy from inhaling all the fumes. 'It was about time that took effect. '

"Brother you go outside and get some air then come help me okay, we need to get almost all the ammo out." In that instant I noticed the shiny new keys that hung on the wall. Something she hadn't told me about.

"Brother go get air." I pushed him outside taking in a deep breath of the fresh air and holding it in as I ran back inside. I looked at the logo on the shiny new keys, plastered with the acronym HumV.

'A HumV how could she not tell me that she got a fucking HumV man.' I ran into the small artillery room and grabbed two large boxes full of ammo for the 92A1 handguns and staggered to the garage as my need for oxygen grew.

"Tania!" My brother called out as I came outside panting. "The fuck Tania it's my turn to be cool." My brother took a breath as I had and ran to the ammo as I followed.

We grabbed close to all the ammo and supplies in less than 10 minutes and that's saying something, because there was a shit load of boxes. We carried them all to the garage into the small tank we were to escape in. When we were getting the last of the boxes and guns I noticed something. In the corner of the room laid a large silver box and I ran out of the room with it to the backyard for a quick breath.

"That's all there is now Tania." My brother panted as he caught his breath while I opened the silver box.

"It's a fucking rocket launcher!" I exclaimed loading it with one of the three rockets that laid in the box and took it in again to make our way to the garage. I climbed in our new getaway car and up to the sunroof.

"Let's go then Brother." I threw him the keys to the HumV as he rushed to get in and out of that place as soon as possible. "Show me how cool you are brother." I teased as I opened the garage door with the remote and he brought that tank of a car to life.

"This thing is awesome Tania." He raved as it roared in the confines of the garage. "You sure you can shoot that?" He asked looking up at me through the sunroof

"Yeah pretty sure, you just worry about driving okay?" I said a smile playing at the corners of my lips. "You ready brother?" I asked a full blown wicked smile split my face in two now as the undead began to gather by our way out.

"Fuck yeah I am!" He exclaimed revving the engine. "Let's go baby!" With that we were out of there. "Let's go get everybody Tania."

"Yeah." I said and we went straight to our house and the door opened immediately when we skidded to a halt. "Get in!" I called out sitting atop the car and pulling the trigger of the Rocket launcher, its recoil almost sent my small frame flying.

"Nice shot!" My brother exclaimed as the place we had come went up in flames obliterating all the undead that crowded around there.

"Get In!" I called to my family that stood in the doorway awestruck by what I just did. "Come on that probably got alot of attention you know so…GET THE FUCK IN THE CAR!" That woke them up. Rocio and my mom came running to the car; the kids trailing them and finally my uncle came trailing after them as well carrying his iPod, my iPod, and my laptop.

"Are you serious Tio?!" I exclaimed face palming myself. "Whatever just get inside okay."I was so glad the HumV was so damn huge. Even with the supplies we all fit. 'Thank God.'

"That's everybody Tania come down." My brother called out from below.

"Okay now let's go get Dennise and Jacob." I said but when I sat down and looked over to my brother he was heartbroken his eyes were sullen and tears threatened to escape and stain his tanned skin.

"No, brother…No are they?" Is all I could muster and then I remembered the house and how he didn't say anything when I mentioned them. "Are they…dead brother?"

"I don't know Tania, but what chance do they have out in something like this?" His breath became raged and his shoulder's began to shake.

"Did you think I would stand a chance in this brother?" I asked holding his hand as the rest sat in silence it felt like a total movie scene. "We won't know if they're okay unless we look for them, and besides Dennise is a tough chic so you gotta have more faith in her and what she's capable of brother."

He looked up and smiled and turned to the rest of our family, "Are you guys willing to go too?" He asked smiling to them.

Our older sister rolled her eyes, "What do you think you fucking retard?" she laughed at his stupid question and so did everyone else.

I smiled over to him. "Okay then let's go get 'em bro!" With that we were off to look for our beloved family members. Into the pits of this new found Hell.


	3. Into Hell

Chapter 3 Into Hell

We drove off down to the streets that were already stained red and crawling with THEM. We drove ever deeper into the nightmarish carnage that was once the city as we made our way to my sister-in-law and nephew, and as I looked out the window the streets were filled with walking corpses.

"Do you think they'll be at home brother?" My sister Rocio asked.

"I don't know chio maybe but I…" My brother's expression looked so pained and tears threatened to escape the corners of his honey eyes.

"Don't worry mi hijo we'll find them safe and sound." Our mom comforted him patting his shoulder from behind.

I turned to look at them and was happy to see them all safe and sound. "Tio can you pass me my iPod?" I asked grabbing the cable to connect it to the car. 'A luxury tank, how lucky.'

"Yeah, it's about time we listened to some music." My uncle said smiling as he handed me my iPod.

"I know right ahaha, now we can rock out while we go kick some ass huh brother?" I teased nudging my brother with my elbow. "You can_ try_ to act cool again."

"Shut up you lil' shit." My brother teased back as my favorite song came on. It was Forever by the Veronicas.

"EEEP!" My little sister screeched she loved to dance this song with me. We started belting out the lyrics as we made our way into the city of San Jose. "Here we are so what you gonna do? Do I gotta spell it out for youuuu I can see you got other plans but tonight I just don't really care." Natalie sung bobbing her head to the beat.

"Size me up you know I beat the best, tik tok no time to rest." I sung along. "Let em' say what they're gonna say but tonight I just don't really care."

"COME ON BABY WE AIN'T GONNA LIVE FOREVER! Let me show you all the things that we could do." We sang out. "You know you wanna be together."

"AND I WANNA SPEND THE NIGHT WITH YOU!" I sung with all my heart as I stuck my head out the sunroof gaining the attention of the undead as we passed them through the streets.

We went like that for most of the ride, song after song having a blast. Until we came to a stop at a gas station where we had to fill her up-that car drank gas. We drove past the gas station and stopped the music completely, as not to draw THEIR attention when we arrived.

I stepped out of our little tank and walked over to the two undead bastards by the gas pump. I smirked as I pulled my bat over head, I swung down and a crack resonated through the street luckily there weren't many of THEM there. "Tio get as much gas as you can okay." I called out, as I swung my bat down and struck the second undead down. My uncle stepped outside once it was all clear. He looked like he wanted to shit himself.

"You're coming too you know? I can't get eaten, like you said I have to take care of everyone, so you're coming in case I run into any of THEM inside there." I walked over and could feel my ego growing with each step. "I can throw you ahead of me so they'll eat you instead." I knew he only jested, but man that brought me down.

"HAR DE HAR." I sarcastically chuckled at him walking ahead with my Springfield XDS ready in case there were some of THEM inside. "It looks clear Tio, put the money in the thingy so we can get out of here." My uncle came in, cash in hand, he was cautious taking each step slowly trying to make the least amount of noise. "Hurry up we don't know if they paid attention to the sound of breaking skulls so yea...hurry up." I whispered over as he put money in the machine.

"Cesar can take care of them right? Don't worry, plus I'm almost done a hundred should be enough for that tank you call a car right?" He pondered, shrugged and walked out I followed. Rocio was already pumping the gas my brother was outside taking care of a few of the Undead keeping them away from the car where the children hid with my mother.

"I'm gonna go help Cesar Tio, you get into the car." I turned away from him and _**that**_ little smirk made its way onto my lips. I pulled out the second Springfield XDs from the holster on the side of the belt I wore. "There's more coming so hurry up chio get in the car me and Cesar can take care of the gas pump.

She nodded and then did a double take of my appearance. "Okay…Wait when did you learn how to shoot?" She asked closing the door of the HumV. I smiled back to her and to her surprise hit one of the undead that my brother had missed right between the eyes.

"You guys have no idea of what I did in my spare time do you?" I asked as I made my way to my brother who shared my sister's look of shock, it was truly a priceless expression. My brother just chuckled and snatched a gun away from me. He aimed and in less than a heartbeat shot. The bullet hit the undead women at least ten feet away from him right between the eyes.

He smiled right back at me looking as devious as the devil. "You got nothing on me little sister." He was such a cocky bastard. I just stuck my tongue out at him and continued to shoot at the advancing walking corpses. I shot and shot and then I heard the ding of the gas pump.

"Brother it's done let's go!" I called out shooting out the last of the bullets of my second magazine. My brother was back to smashing heads as he ran back to me.

We jumped into the mini tank and speed away; the undead bastards were all making their way to where we had come. "I guess we made more noise than we planned on huh?" My uncle said from behind.

"Yea..maybe we shouldn't use the guns unless absolutely necessary, they just make way too much noise." I said looking over to my brother who was focused on the street.

"We're almost there." He said speeding up. He wanted to see them so much and so did everyone else but I can't even imagine how much his heart must have ached with uncertainty.

"Slow down Cesar, you don't want to die on the way there do you?" Rocio scolded him as she held Raymond to keep him from shuffling with the movement of the HumV. Natalie and my mom sat together Natalie's honey eyes still groggy from the nap she had just awakened from.

"Brother you should listen to Chio we could crash into a car or something." I held his shoulder and he glared over at me with so much anger it made me wince.

"They could be in trouble Tania, I can't take my sweet time…I..I have to keep them safe." He stuttered accelerating.

I tugged at his shirt and he looked into my eyes for a second and in that moment we found who we were looking for. "C..Cesar look, it's Dennise I pointed out the window and there she was right in front us Jacob in hand. Her hand was bloody and her clothes torn, her long black hair was up in a high ponytail and in her other hand she held a machete dripping red. Jacob was without a scratch not a single speck of blood to mar his angelic features.

My brother chino stopped the car at the sight making everyone's head bob forward with the sudden shift of momentum. "Their okay…Thank God their okay." Once again tears stained his tanned skin as he stepped out of the car. There were too many of THEM out there to call out to his beloved family so he ran silently to them.

I couldn't hear what he might of said when he reached her but as soon as his lips moved she turned to him tears streaming down her face as well. He embraced her and kissed her with more love and passion than I had ever seen and when the parted he kneeled down to his son's level to completely smother the poor 5 year old boy in what looked like a bone crushing embrace.

I'm guessing he told her of the family waiting for them when he pointed at the car because she waved over to us and they made their way over to us so we could all finally be together. "Tania do You mind going in the back with Jacob." Dennise asked sweetly her voice cracked for she was still crying.

"No problem, you guys deserve time together. Hey what might have you done to get that bloody, I mean I was in a crowd of them and I'm not that dirty." I smiled back at her she raised a neat eyebrow but shrugged off my queer statement. I moved back and took hold of the little boy who was clearly exhausted.

"Where'd you get a machete Dennise?" My mom asked. Dennise looked back at her and simply said…

"I killed a neighbor who had it." Her eyes lost the spark of happiness as she spoke, I can imagine what she might have had to do to keep Jacob safe. She had a 16 year old little sister -same age as me- and a brother a few years younger.

"We all had to kill people we cared for Dennise." My hand reached out to hold her shoulder and she jumped at the sudden contact. She looked back with a forced smile on her face.

"Hey where's your Granma?" She asked still forcing that smile, I let her go and turned away as tears gathered in my eyes, her death played over in my head every time someone mentioned her as it does to this day, even as I write this.

"Like I said we've all had to kill people we care about." Her false expression dissipated at my statement, she turned to my brother her big brown eyes grew wider with shock.

"D…did you, Cesar?" Dennise asked my brother, but he shook his head and silently signaled towards me.

"She had to because I wasn't there yet." He said his honey eyes full of sympathy for me, but I didn't need it. Yea I loved her to death and hated losing her but she didn't die by my hand, her death was that virus not the cane I wielded to strike her moving corpse. Same goes for my aunt.

"If I hadn't she would of hurt the rest of them. I had no choice in the matter." I turned and faced my mom and little sister with a smile. "I wouldn't be able to live if I lost them."

I felt so stupid for saying that when I looked upon her somber expression. She has to live without the people she cared about now. "I know what you mean." She said with a sort of twisted smile.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Dennise, but at least you and Jacob are okay." My mom said in an attempt to lighten the mood. She was always good at that.

Dennise smiled over at Jacob and her eyes lightened up just a little more. "I guess you're right." With that she snuggled closer to my brother and he gave her kiss on her forehead."

"Where to now?" my brother asked and we didn't know.

"How about we check on the rest of the family?" Roci suggested and I have to say I was genuinely shocked at that moment. My sister had always said how much she didn't care for the family and how she wanted to get away from everyone and live on her own with Raymond and now here she was asking to go find the people she wanted to escape from.

"S..sure that sounds good, so who should we look for first?" I stuttered, like I said I was shocked.

"How about your Tia Irma she's the closest to where we are now." My mom replied pointing out the widow next to her. "Make a U turn and go down Curtner and then turn right onto Olive Street, her house is the first house on the right."

"Alright then here we go." My brother said a devious smile on his lips, and just as I thought he would, he turned at full speed skidding the car a little. Thank God everyone was wearing seatbelts in that mini-tank.

"Watch it you idiot the kids could have gotten hurt!" Roci yelled at him Dennise donked him on the head, the kids and I just laughed at the scene.

"What, the streets are empty and the only cars still moving are the people trying to get out of town and us. Not that many people to get into accidents with."

We just stayed quiet but I couldn't hold back my smirk. This is what I've been waiting for, a life where there is no more holding back and a permanent risk to my life, it was great, that is until I began to lose everything worth living for.


	4. Love and Loss

Chapter 4 Loss and Love

As we made our way to my aunts we encountered many of the undead, they were swarming on that little block. We approached the house but circled around and cut the engine so we wouldn't attract THEM. My uncle, my brother, Denise and I prepared to step out of the HumV so we gathered our weapons. My uncle's weapon of choice was an assault rifle. My brother and Denise stuck to what they had on 'em. Me I reloaded my pistols and strapped my base ball bat to my back with a shot gun holster.

"Chio take care of everybody while we're gone okay." My brother said as he and Denise stepped out.

Chio nodded "I'd die before I let anything happen to the kids." My brother smiled but I glared at her.

"You won't have to die if you're careful Chio," I hissed at her and her glare hit me like a bucket of ice water. "I just don't want anyone else dying so don't say that okay?" I tried to console for my discretion and it worked her dark eyes softened and she smiled at me.

"I should be telling you that not the other way around." She hugged me and kissed my forehead as I stepped out to face _Hell on Earth_ again.

We were quiet and didn't attract any attention to ourselves as we walked through my aunt's neighborhood, thank God. We approached the door and to our dismay it was slightly opened a red hand print stained the corner of the white entry way.

"No..No" My uncle whispered as he came to the realization that we came too late. All of our hopes came crashing down around us, but I couldn't leave without knowing for sure.

I pushed the door open with the barrel of my gun, it creaked slightly but not loud enough to get unwanted attention. I looked over the edge of the door and the coast was clear.

"Looks empty," I said taking a step into the silent edifice. There really seemed to be on one in sight at all until I heard the shallow breathing from the living room down the hall.

I pushed on ward expecting to see the walking corpses of my Tia Lucy, Irma, and Lupe feasting on my cousin Ange, or some horrific scene where my family had been slaughtered; but what I found was nothing. I found absolutely nothing, and that gave me a shred of hope as I walked deeper into the house.

"Hello," I whispered, "is anyone here?" I heard a creak from down the corridor that led to my aunts' room. "Tias, are you guys here?" I motioned for the others to follow me deeper into the house.

"Tania," Denise called. "Are you sure we should be calling out like that?" I nodded back at her. She tried to sound indifferent but her voice betrayed her, it cracked with fear.

"If some of THEM come in all we have to do is be quiet and they won't notice us. They can only hear so we should be fine. Plus I'm not being loud enough to reach outside I think." I pushed open my Tias' room slowly and it made a high pitched squeak as it inched away from my line of sight.

"Nothing," Said my brother, "how can there be nothing? No blood stains or bodies no signs of a struggle…There's nothing."

We couldn't believe it where could they be, and then it dawned on me. "What if they were out of the house when this all started, you know how the liked to go to the mall." Panic began to surface in my families eyes. A crowded mall was the worst place to be in a situation like this.

"Let's go back to the HumV then," My uncle said sullenly as he glanced at my Tias' picture. They stood hugging one and other smiling, their dear older sister Hermila with them on the Bay Bridge. My grandma, my great aunts were gone.

"Yeah," My brother said touching my shoulder, pulling me from my revere. I nodded and made my way back to the front door.

"HEY!" Denise called over to us I found something!" I glared at her and shed her through gritted teeth. "Oh sorry," she whispered, "well I found this on the kitchen counter." She held out a small digital recorder out for us to see. "I think it has a message on it do you wanna listen to it?"

I rolled my eyes at her "No we don't, we want to burn it." My voice dripped with sarcasm as I reached for it but my brother beat me to it. "By the way I'm pretty sure you got the attention of zombies at least 3 blocks over."

"No need to be rude you little shit," Cesar retorted about my attitude.

I clenched my teeth straining to keep quiet, I'm known for a short temper and couldn't hold back, I snapped back at him. "Well I'm sorry I tried to brighten my day with a little sarcasm! I just thought I deserved it since I had to smash the FUCKING head of the woman who pretty much raised me MY FUCKING BAD!"

Everyone was silent then and as I turned for the door I noticed THEY were shambling our way. "Well Fuck." I face palmed realizing it was partly my big mouth's fault. I Turned back to them and signaled for them to get to the back room, it had an entire wall made of glass with an exit to the back yard.

My brother glared at me and ushered Denise in the direction of the room. He knew what I intended to do right now, and I knew he hated the idea. "Just go already." I muttered, he looked me over and left. When I saw the door close behind him I pulled out my bat and stepped farther into the quiet of the empty house.

I thought it was funny how I had to keep going to houses that held fond family memories and stain them red with the blood of THEM. I grinned as the first undead corpse appeared in the door way. The neighbor girl, she was only a year or so older than me, and would always try to hit on my family. Uncles, cousins, even the taco kid that would help his dad serve food at our parties. She looked liked a half eaten whore but then again she was.

Her short black hair stuck to her face with dry blood, half a breast exposed and her atrocious short shorts still hugged her love handles. "Well this is a treat." Was all I could muster when she hobbled my way. I sauntered over to her and measured the distance between us with my bat, raised it over my head and crashed it into her skull splattering her blood on the walls and undead behind her.

"Well time to get to work." I said grinning as I began to plow through the undead; they all futilely tried to grab me. Such a deep red covered the floor and believe it or not I almost slipped on the blood slick floor once…or maybe three times. I got at least ten of THEM to lie lifeless on the tiled floor of the house and two more on the side walk as I made my way to the HumV and thank God my family was all there and man were they surprised.

"Hey we should go, the neighborhood is really shitty here." I chuckled but I wasn't even given a pity laugh. "Tough crowd." I sighed and leaned on the headrest of my seat as I tried to let sleep sweep over me, but it never came.

We drove off the stereo of the monster car blaring, 'On to the next house.' I thought as we drove deeper into the fray. All hoping to find someone else, someone we knew and cared for to be alive and fighting. We had no such luck as we drove to all of our families' homes, at least the ones that lived in San Jose.

We went house to house for hours searching and we found some of our family but not the way we'd hoped. They turned into THEM we were too late. The only hope we had left was finding our family in Modesto, hopefully they are still okay.

"We should stop somewhere to rest its getting dark out and we've all had so much to take in." My mom looked over at me and squeezed my hand I smiled my usual I'm-Fine-I-Promise-Smile. Surprisingly she knew it was total bullshit for once, maybe learning some unexpected things about me made her pay a bit more attention now.

"Yeah," I said squeezing her hand back hiding my eyes with my bangs. "Mom's right we all need some rest before we can travel somewhere safer." My brother nodded and drove to the Wal-Mart that was a few blocks ahead. The parking lot was packed and there were plenty Hummers the same size as ours, because come on its California. So we were able to spend a peaceful night in the new world, which meant we heard screams and skidding wheels but nothing bothered us. So we said our goodnights when things got quiet and slept.

The morning diluted light that shown through the tinted windows of our vehicle obscured my vision but that could have been the tears that spilled from my eyes. 'Why am I crying?' I thought, I really didn't know until I realized the happening of the past 12 hours. It was like a dam busted open because my tears flowed thick and hot down my face as loud sobs racked my body.

I cried uncontrollably as yesterdays event played out in my mind. My sobs grew louder waking my brother. 'Why him, why does he have to see me like this," I thought as I shook with each wave of sobs.

"Hey Tania, don't cry little sister." He scooted over to me, I was directly behind him, and he held me close to his chest as I continued to weep. "Its okay brother's here for you okay you cry all you need love." That was the first time he had ever called me that, the first time he'd done anything to comfort me really. So I cried harder my cries muffled by his chest.

I held tightly to his shirt balling it in my fist as my burst of emotion racked my body with sobs and cries of fear, anger, and guilt. My brother smoothed my hair as I wept into his chest. "Tania," he whispered in my ear. "It's alright now big brother's here okay, I'm so sorry you had to do those things yesterday." I could hear his voice crack when he spoke.

More hot tears burned my eyes and cheeks as they spilled over. 'Please don't be sorry brother' I thought wrapping my arms around him. 'I'm fine okay, please don't cry.' Is what I wanted to say but my voice betrayed me.

"I love you Tania you know that right? Big brother has always loved you okay." His voice cracked again as he whispered in my ear. "I love you so much Tania, maybe more than a big brother should." My eyes widened as I felt a drop of moisture hit the top of my head.

When I looked up I was met with my brother's tears. 'Oh God no brother please, please don't cry over me.' I thought but I only whimpered unable to speak as tears continued to streak down my face. My brother's hand wiped away a few hot tears and then he leaned down and kissed away a few more as they made their way down my face.

"Tania," he breathed kissing a tear that hung at the edge of my lips. "Please stop crying, it breaks me love." I sobbed as he uttered those words and clung to him again burying my face in his shirt, only to have him pick it back up to look at him. "My sweet little sister I love you." He whispered leaning down and planting a small chaste kiss on my lips.

I touched my lips not believing what was happening. Ceasar smiled down at me, and kissed me again, this time he lingered on my lips a bit longer. My tears had stopped by now, but I still shook like a leaf. He held me close again smoothing out my hair to calm me down. "There there Tania it's okay now." I looked up at him as I realized we now sat in the driver's seat and I was nestled in his lap.

"Brother," I muttered my voice only a whisper but he placed a long finger over my lips to silence me. I quieted down and sat there with him as he held me close. It was the first time he'd shown so much affection to me, I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe I was still dreaming, but oh how I hoped I was awake that my big brother loved me like _**that**_.

I know it was wrong but I loved my brother like a man, and I think he admitted that he felt the same. I wanted to ask but I felt I would be hushed again or maybe told to move away. I didn't want to that so I stayed quiet.

"Hey Tania," he murmured I looked up at his smiling face, how I loved that glinting white smile. "You know I love you right?" I nodded and snuggled closer. "Do you trust me then?" I nodded again my head resting against his heart. I could hear how it sped up if only by a fraction. "Then close your eyes and keep them closed okay." I obliged, and his calloused hand was once again lifting my head to meet his. My eyes stayed closed as he held my head up and his lips came down on mine.

His lips parted and a warm wet appendage poked at my own as if knocking on a door, I opened my door and in he went. He explored me as though searching for something. His lips moving rhythmically to his heart, I panted and wrapped my fingers around his head hoping to draw him as close as possible.

'This is so wrong we shouldn't do this,' I thought but I really didn't care at all. I had hoped for this as I watched him grow into the fine man he is today. I moaned and he answered with a sort of carnal growl. 'My brother wants me' is what raced through my mind and I felt like we were the only two people who ever existed.

He broke away from me panting, his eyes looked darker, and his pupils were wider almost over shadowing the caramel irises. "Brother," I whimpered but he hushed me again looking back at our sleeping family Denise was behind us holding Jacob close. Our mom and sister mirrored her holding their children as well.

"We should sleep a bit more okay. It's still only 7." I nodded and laid my head on his chest again. He leaned back and closed his eyes and I did the same. "Goodnight little sister."

"Good night and I love you too brother, I always have." I mumbled as sleep swept me into unconsciousness.


End file.
